Italian
by walkthelineorcrossit
Summary: CG: Having no one to cook for can kill one's passion for cooking.
1. For One

Huh... just something that came up to me while looking for my recipe book.

Disclaimer: I don't own Lie To Me or any of its characters.

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

Having no one to cook for can kill one's passion for cooking.

You walk into your kitchen and you notice that there is a table at the center and four chairs surrounding it. Nothing seems to be wrong with this picture, does it?

At first you agree but as you take the time to study the room a sudden thought crosses your mind… there is no one to sit on those chairs.

Gillian Foster took her shoes off and left them by the doorway before walking further into the room. That had once been her favorite place of the house… Yes, she had also enjoyed her bedroom, but after a few years of marriage things had taken a wrong turn and over her bed had then been laid out a dust cover that still remained there… untouched. Anyway, in those moments when not even the sheets seemed like the perfect place to hide, Gillian always seemed to find some peace in her kitchen, dedicating her free time to the art of cooking.

She loved everything about it. She loved the smell, she loved the feeling of the fresh ingredients in her hands, she loved the precision some dishes required, she loved the expressions that took over her guests' and/or husband's face every time she decided to take a step further and try something new…

But now she was alone and that meant that she only had to cook for one.

She had long ago given up on buying new books and her kitchen looked like a ghost - a clean one, at least - because she had decided to start bringing food home as cooking, her old passion and escape, had turned into a lake of memories that seemed to want her to drown.

She pulled out one of the chairs and sat down, resting her elbows on the table and her face on her hands as she looked around.

It had been one hell of a day.

She had spent the whole day at the office dealing with paperwork while Cal, Loker and Ria walked in and out of the building, their minds too focused on their new case to even notice her, to even ask if she wanted to join them for lunch or to ask if she also wanted her usual from Francesca's Café.

Of course she wasn't angry… she completely understood their actions but it was just that… well… it felt like she was being left behind and that made her think about how lonely she was and felt and that was just the beginning of a possible train of thought that would only drive her closer to depression… and she wasn't okay with that.

She hadn't commented on anything, though. Instead, she had left the office earlier and had brought some reports home so that she could take a look at them while lying on her couch with her PJs on and a glass of wine close by.

She had walked into the house and had put her keys on the coffee table by the phone and her bag on the floor, by its side. But instead of going directly to the bedroom so that she could change, she found herself walking towards the kitchen.

And here she was now…

She felt a sudden need for closure but it was not like she could grab the phone and call someone… Well, she actually could but she didn't want to… she didn't feel like it. She was sure that her mother would give her one of those speeches that would just make her feel worse and her friends would give her the dating speech, saying that she needed to get out more often and blah blah blah…

Who else could she possibly call?

Well, there was always Cal Lightman.

She rolled her eyes at herself and stood up from her chair, starting to open a few drawers as if she was looking for something in concrete. She was actually just trying to find something to keep her mind away from her _partner_.

Things at the office hadn't been that great lately… it actually felt a bit like her house did a few days before she decided to ask for the divorce… it seemed that all the pieces were spread on the floor but that no one seemed to be interested in putting the puzzle together.

She had thought about leaving the Lightman Group, but what would she do?

She had received a few e-mails and letters but she wasn't sure yet… she wasn't sure she was ready to abandon a project to which she had dedicated so much of her time and love.

As she rumbled through her drawers she ended up finding something quite interesting. It was one of her favorite cooking books and it had some of her favorite Italian recipes. She felt her mouth water at the thought of the wonders she had once been able to do.

She bit down on her lower lip as her hand rested over the book's cover. Maybe that was exactly what she needed… maybe cooking would take her mind away from the real life, just as it did in the past…

Maybe… maybe…

There was only one thing to do… _try_.

She removed the book from inside the drawer and put it over the table before starting to look for her apron. As soon as she felt ready, she turned the radio on, chose her favorite station and poured herself a glass of red wine before going to her fridge, opening it and studying its contents.

It took her only a few minutes to decide that a good bolognese followed by a slice of the chocolate cake she had baked the day before would make quite the perfect meal.

_It's quite a treat_, she thought to herself as she took a long sip of her wine before putting her glass by the book and opening it.

She remembered that she had once found a quite fantastic and eccentric recipe for a bolognese sauce somewhere in that book. She was scrambling through the pages when something caught her attention… apparently she had used a photo of Alec and her to mark the page… It did make sense as it was one of his favorite dishes.

She stopped in her tracks for a moment and wondered if it wouldn't be better to just call and order something… but before she had time to let her shoulders go down in defeat, she put the photo away and focused her attention on what was written on the book.

Before it had become one of Alec's favorite dishes, it had been hers and she wasn't going to give up on herself again just because of him… or any man, for that matter.

On that moment the song "Sway" sang by Michael Bublè filled the room and she felt her humor rising.

_What the hell_, she sighed before closing her eyes and letting the cells of her body adapt to the rhythm before starting to move around the kitchen, getting the things done so that she could have her special meal.

As she walked, her feet moved to the beat… her movements were soft and graceful… she was swaying on her kitchen, on her own…alone… The natural laughter that abandoned her mouth surprised her… she felt free…

"And you aren't even wearing pink…"

She was suddenly very aware of reality, noticing that the song playing in her head had been long gone and been replaced by some crazy tune from one of the many young singers that went all by different names but that looked exactly the same. She made sure the sauce was safe and that the water with the pasta was still boiling before turning around, finding herself starting at the one and only, Cal Lightman.

"I wonder why Bell had the trouble to invent the phones when people don't care to use them…"

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME  
_

Would love to know what you think!

Thank you for reading!


	2. For Two

Thank you for the lovely reviews! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Lie To Me.

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

"_I wonder why Bell had the trouble to invent the phones when__ people don't care to use them…"_

Cal Lightman was 100% sure that he wouldn't find Gillian in a good mood as she had left the office without saying a word to anyone. He had noticed that lately she had been doing that more often but this time something was different… this time she hadn't even let Heidi know that she would be leaving.

At first he had thought that it had something to do with the paper season… he had always hated paperwork but she seemed to be rather okay with it and so he had stopped worrying and had gotten used to her not so happy self when it came to that time of the year.

This year though, this year seemed to be way heavier on her back as what usually took her 2 days to drive her insane, took only about 5 minutes to get her to start breaking pencils in frustration.

Something else had to be troubling her mind but somehow instead of discussing it or at least yelling about it, she had adopted a silence strategy, keeping her thoughts and her pains to herself.

It didn't take a psychologist to know that that wasn't a great idea… there would come an hour of a day when there would be too much inside and she would have to explode. Knowing Gillian, on that day she would disappear like a shadow… and apparently, that day was actually today.

"I actually thought you would be pissed off about the fact that I broke in… but apparently the coming unannounced thing did the trick."

Cal took a few steps closer to her, studying her face attentively to make sure he was getting to her but not getting in too deep to the point of bringing the whole line conversation up again.

"I don't know about you but I think that using the key absolves you from the crime of breaking in… now the coming unannounced, now that's a completely different story… but I am afraid I can't get you arrested for it."

The fact that she didn't break the eye contact and didn't take any steps back actually surprised him. When feeling bad about herself, Gillian usually dig a hole around herself and hid so that no one could find her. But this time, this time she was staring back right into his eyes and there was something about her look… was she challenging him? And if she so, to what?

He saw her move her hand so that it was standing between their bodies, palm up, like she was expecting him to give her something. He had probably missed something… Bah, he felt like slapping himself for he had yet again allowed himself to get lost in her while the whole point was trying to understand why she seemed to be so lost herself.

Deciding it was safer not to try and use words coherently - he was sure he would say something that would bring too much attention to himself and he wanted to avoid that for reasons he preferred not to think about at the moment -, he simply raised an eyebrow and waited for her to explain her action.

"The key, Cal. I want my key back, if you don't mind."

Cal's hand made a trip to his pocket and returned holding her extra key. He looked down at it before reluctantly letting it rest in Gillian's hand, his fingers lingering against her palm for longer than necessary.

When his eyes returned to hers he wasn't fast enough to hide the expression of surprise that took over his face as he noticed that there was smile on her own. Suddenly he found himself lost in his thoughts, wondering which of his meaningless actions had brought her such joy. Whatever it had been, he would do it over and over and over again till that smile that so beautifully reached her eyes wouldn't ever abandon her complexion.

While he tried to understand her smile, she tried to understand what that little gesture of his had meant. No, she was not talking about the fingers that were still lingering against her open palm, but about the fact that he had put her key in his pocket… like it belonged there, like he meant to return and he wasn't even gone yet.

Even though there were thousands of possible and rational explanations, Gillian was going to allow herself to enjoy a bit of attention by voting for the fact that he had put it in his pocket because it felt natural to him to carry her key around like it belonged there.

"Thank you." She finally said, closing her hand around the key and turning around to check on the dinner that smelled way too good to go to waste.

Cal was brought back to reality once she turned her back on him. He took a deep breath and that was when he became aware of the fact that there was a nice scent in the house. And before he allowed himself to comment, his stomach decided to tell the world that some food had to be consumed soon.

"What smells so good?" He asked as he walked closer to her, grabbing a piece of hair that was blocking his vision and moving it to the back of her head so that he could see from above her shoulder, brushing his fingers lightly against her soft skin in the process.

"I am cooking…" She said proudly, hoping that the confidence in her voice would help her hid the fact that his touch had caused her knees to go weak. "Bolognese… a special recipe that I used to love."

"Used to, huh? Past tense?" He leaned closer, resting one of his hands on her waist so that he wouldn't lose his balance as he tried to capture another breath of that wonderful smell.

"Trying to figure that out." She answered, turning off the oven.

"Is there enough for two?" He enquired, giving his voice a tone of hope that he knew she wouldn't miss.

"Actually, I think there is enough for two or three…"

She had just mentioned the word three when the bell rang.

The muscles that had a little while ago found comfort in Cal's company and relaxed, were back up and looking as stiff as ever. She let out a breath before letting her eyes travel from the food that had to be served to the door that had to be answered.

"I will serve if you allow me the pleasure of your company." Cal said, starting to get things ready without even waiting for her answer.

"Thanks. It will be a second… I don't know who else would come this late on a Friday night."

As soon as she opened the door her eyes met the familiar figure of Cal's daughter, Emily Lightman.

"Gill! Hi." The young girl said, a huge smile on her face.

"Ems! So great to see you." Gillian replied, feeling her muscles relax yet again as Emily wrapped her arms around her and gave her a tight hug.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, her motherly tone coming to life as she pulled away.

"Oh yes!" Emily said as she walked into the house so that Gillian could close the door as it was quite cold outside. "I was home alone… waiting for my father, who happens not to be answering his phone by the way, and then I remembered you saying that I could come and keep you company anytime I wanted so… here I am!"

"And I am so glad you are here! Oh, and I might have the solution to your little mystery." Gillian said, winking at the young girl that looked officially confused. "Cal? We will need a third plate… we have company."

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a review :P

New chapter will be up soon!


	3. For Three

I am glad to hear that some of you are enjoying this story! :) Thank you for the kind reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own Lie To Me

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

"_And I am so glad you are here! Oh, and I might have the solution to your mystery." Gillian said, winking at the young girl that looked officially confused. "Cal? We will need __a third plate… we have company."_

"My lovely father decided to hide here, huh? Nice one…" Emily said as she removed her coat and put it in the hanger. "Very well played."

"Oh, he is hiding from you?" Gillian asked as she waited for the young girl to join her so that they could walk to the kitchen together.

"I would say so, yes… I have been waiting for him at home for hours now…" Emily explained, linking her arm with Gillian's as they walked down the hall. "I want to go to Tuscany for my birthday and I have been asking him about it for weeks but he kept saying that we would talk "some other time"." Emily sighed quite dramatically before carrying on, "Yesterday though, I asked him so many times that he ended up saying that he would give me the final answer today."

"He did, huh? He's not so good at keeping promises, is he?" She wasn't really expecting an answer from the young girl and the second one was aware of it and just nodded. "I finally know the reason why you decided to come over…" Gillian said as they walked into the kitchen. "For a moment I actually thought you were worried about me..." She faked a desperate voice tone but Cal knew very well that the disappointment behind it was quite real.

"Oh look…" He said, taking a step closer to them and ignoring what Gillian had just said. "If it isn't my two favorite girls together." He wrapped his arms around them, causing them both to giggle as he ticked their sides.

"Cal, stop!" Gillian begged, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks as she kept giggling.

He would have stopped right away if he hadn't noticed how adorable she looked while laughing. She appeared way more innocent and happy and young… and her body exhaled life under his touch. That was why he, instead of stopping, allowed his daughter to escape his embrace and focused his attention on Gillian.

He saw her face going reddish and her eyes getting bluer by the second as the tears of joy seemed to erase all the past tension that had darkened them. Her eyes looked as limpid as the ocean now and that only made them more beautiful and intense… The only thing he could think of at the moment was what he had done to deserve such a woman in his life.

Getting lost in his thoughts distracted him and Emily was then finally able to attack him from behind, proving that even a badasss such as himself had a ticklish place… and that was his neck.

Gillian took a step back, her hands wrapped around her own torso as she tried to catch her breath and stop laughing. She did notice what Emily had just done and she made a mental note to never forget that detail. She was sure that, sooner or later, that piece of information would come in handy.

Cal was able to convince Emily to let go of him after threatening to attack her again and not stop till she was lying on the floor of so much laughter.

"Glass of wine, love?" He asked Gillian as he recomposed himself.

She was leaning against the side of the table, still trying to calm down after that moment of complete insanity. She nodded as an answered and wiped away the tears.

"Can I have some as well, Dad?" Emily asked as she checked the table, trying to have a sneak peek of what their dinner would consist of.

"Did you drive?" Cal asked as he poured Gillian a glass, handling it to her before turning to his daughter.

"No, I actually didn't… Hugh was around and I asked him if he could give me a ride here…"

"A _lift_, love, a lift…" Cal corrected her as he shook his head, pouring her some wine as well before getting himself a glass.

"There's already another boy in the picture?" Gillian asked as she walked closer to them, leaning back against the counter as she looked at the Lightman family while taking a sip of her wine.

"You see what I have to deal with?" Cal commented, making a dramatic gesture with his hands before taking a sip of his wine and nodding in appreciation. "Now this is nice… someone was planning on having a party and not inviting me…"

Emily hit his arm playfully before rolling her eyes at Cal and turning to look at Gillian.

"I would totally understand why you would have a party without him… working with this guy must be as boring as hell and then again… having a party still means having fun, right?" She said, teasing her father and making Gillian smile.

"Oi, little lady, watch out the language, will you? I am still your father…"

"Oh, so you are my father! Are you the one who promised to tell me today whether I could go to Tuscany or not?" Emily asked sarcastically yet playfully, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Here we go again…" Cal mumbled under his breath as he poured himself some more wine.

"As much as I find you two arguing entertaining, what do you say to discussing the matter after dinner? The food is getting cold and if I remember correctly it is way too good to go to waste." Gillian intervened, pulling a chair and sitting down as Cal had already set the table for them.

"Ever told you that I love the way you think, darling?" Cal winked at her before sitting down by his daughter's side so that he could keep an eye on Gillian during the meal.

They chatted naturally during the meal, comfortable with each other's company. They laughed, they spoke about serious themes such as Emily going to college and already having ideas about what she wanted to study, they discussed Hugh and the fact that he didn't play any sports…

"Ems, you have to admit darling… it's weird that he read Jane Eyre…" Cal said as he stood up, taking his plate to the dishwasher. "It would have already been weird if he had done it once, let alone twice or thrice…"

Emily was about to comment on her father's sentence but Gillian decided to take over this time.

"I actually find it sexy… a man interested in literature more than in muscles…" Gillian commented casually. "And besides Cal, he goes to the gym… so he will stay in shape…" She added as she too stood up and moved towards Cal with her plate so that they were standing in opposite sides of the dishwasher, face to face. "Keep him close, Emily… you never know when you will get lucky again and find a guy like that…"

Cal raised an eyebrow at Gillian's comment and his eyebrow would have gone higher if it could when Gillian bent down right in front of him to put the plate on the dishwasher, giving him a privileged view of her cleavage.

"Maybe Hugh could even convince your father to join the gym as well…" Gillian said as she walked by him, patting his toned abs before carrying on towards the fridge.

Emily couldn't help but laugh. She knew that Gillian was about the only person who could still play against her father and somehow the older woman seemed to be on the game tonight. This was a fantastic opportunity… she couldn't let them write the end so early in the night.

"What do you say to a movie?" Emily asked as she grabbed her plate and gave it to her father so that he could get the dishwasher working.

"I do have dessert… I think it would go quite well with a movie." Gillian said as she opened the freezer and grabbed some of her favorite flavors of Ben&Jerry's. "I don't really have any plans but don't feel like you have to stay just because I fed you."

There was silence for a moment and when she turned around from the freezer to check what was going on she found herself surrounded by the Lightman family. Emily hugged Gillian's side and Cal brought her close to his chest, kissing her forehead gently.

"Thank you." They said in unison, causing her to blush.

"Ems, choose a movie… I will help Gillian with the dessert."

"Your wish is an order, sir. I haven't forgotten about Tuscany though…" Emily said as she walked out of the kitchen, leaving Gillian and her father alone.

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

Hope you liked it! :D New chapter will be up very soon!

Do leave a review behind if you feel like it!


	4. For You

Thank you so much for your lovely comments! They make me very happy! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Lie To Me.

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

"_Your wish is an order, sir. I haven't forgotten about Tuscany though…" Emily said as she walked out of the kitchen, leaving Gillian and her father alone._

Gillian laid the ice-cream packages over the table and then opened the oven as she had left the chocolate cake inside so that it remained soft.

"Do you want to talk about Tuscany?" She asked once she heard the sound of the television coming from the other room. She put the cake over the table and then looked up, searching for his eyes.

"There's nothing to talk about, love." Cal said, leaning back against the counter as he finished his wine. "There's no way I am going to let her go to Tuscany alone."

"How old is Hugh?" Gillian walked over to him and opened the drawer by his side where she kept the spoons and forks needed for the dessert.

Cal rolled his eyes and reached out for the bottle, pouring himself some more wine. For some reason Gillian always seemed to be a step ahead even though he never seemed to give her 100% of the information when the situation being discussed had to do with Emily. It was not that he didn't trust her… it was just that she always had great arguments in favor of his daughter.

"He is 22 but that's not the problem…" He would have continued with his train of thought if Gillian hadn't interrupted him.

"Cal, you have drunk at least half a bottle of wine… quit trying to lie to me…" She told him as she opened the first package of Ben&Jerry's.

He put the glass down and walked quietly towards her, deciding on standing right behind her. He was so close that she could feel his hot breath against her neck. She had to fight hard not to just lean back against his body and close her eyes…

"And you think I am lying because…" He murmured in her ear, nibbling at _her ear lobe._

He half expected her to pull away and change the subject but no, she actually turned around so that she could face him, her nose less than an inch away from his.

"Because I can read it in your face." Her voice tone was confident and her face expression was quite challenging.

"Show me…" He said as he grabbed her hand and put it over his own face.

Using her forefinger she traced random paths across the skin of his face. He felt rough under her touch as he hadn't taken the time to shave that morning. A small smile took over her face as she remembered the day she had told him he looked better when he shaved and he had appeared latter that day with a smooth face for her to feel. Her fingertips soon found a recent scar that caused her to sigh. While most of the people had the tendency to run away from death, Cal had a passion for pursuing it, teasing it and then escaping it. She just hoped that he would never be caught or he wouldn't be the only one to go down.

"So…"

His voice sounded urgent and slightly frustrated. He must have been trying to read her face while she read his but she knew how hard it was for him to read her in his normal condition, let alone after such an amount of alcohol.

She cupped his face with her hand and allowed her thumb to caress his lower lip.

"You think that by allowing her to go to Tuscany with him you will be giving her the scissors to cut the strings that still connect you two." She said softly, her hand never living his face as she looked deeply into his eyes.

She felt him breaking into a million of pieces under her touch. She watched him carefully as he broke eye contact by closing them as he brought a hand to rest over hers.

"Cal, she is your daughter now and she will be your daughter forever… not even you could try to run away from her if you wanted."

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm before letting go, a small smile on his lips.

"And besides…" She said as she grabbed the spoon again. "You can always give her the trip as a birthday gift and go with her." Gillian suggested before pointing towards the cabinet where the plates where.

He thought her idea over as he grabbed the plates.

"You think she would like that idea?" He asked as he put the plates on the table.

"Well, you would have to give her and Hugh some space but I am sure you could make that work…" She said as she placed a slice of chocolate cake in each plate. "Right?" She said as she looked up at him.

"What am I supposed to do while giving them some space?"

"You could try and relax… read… take photographs…" She suggested as she added ice-cream to the first plate. "You know, have fun for a change."

"What do you mean? I have plenty of fun on a daily basis." He said, diving his finger into his vanilla ice-cream before pressing it against her nose.

"Cal…" Her voice tone was supposed to come out as a serious warning but the ice-cream on her nose made her look everything but credible.

He reached out and drew a smiley face on her right cheek.

"What am I going to do with you?" Gillian asked as she shook her head, trying to keep her severe look on.

"Good question... What are you going to do with me?" He made no effort to try and dissimulate the innuendo that was as evident as his darkening eyes.

"I think I am going to buy you a one-way ticket to Tuscany!" She said as she reached out for a napkin. "Now let me clean up this mess… your daughter is waiting for us in the living room."

"Please, allow me…" He said as he leaned over, letting his tongue taste the vanilla ice-cream on her cheek.

"I think you are enjoying yourself a bit too much…" She said as she hit him playfully in the arm before taking a step back and cleaning her face with her napkin.

"Have no idea of what you mean…"

She rolled her eyes and put the ice-cream back in the freezer before getting ready to grab the plates and her glass of wine. She noticed that he was still looking at her, a funny look in his face.

"What?"

"You missed a spot." He said, this time using his finger to wipe away the ice-cream. He then offered it to her but as she shook her head he shrugged and took his finger into his mouth. "There. Perfect."

"Thank you." She bit her lip for a moment before sighing and reaching out for the plates. "Glasses and another bottle?"

When they reached the living room they found Emily sound asleep on the couch. Gillian put the plates over the coffee table and took a look at her wrist watch.

"I understand her exhaustion… it's late…" Gillian didn't really know what to do. She had really been excited about the idea of watching a movie with company. "I don't think you should drive… Do you… want me to call a cab?" As she looked up she found Cal looking at the screen.

"I don't know about you but I was actually enjoying the idea of watching a movie… and she chose a good one…" He said, nodding towards the television.

"Oh, she chose Casablanca…" She said, staring at the screen for a while before sighing. "What do you want to do then?"

"Do you mind if I take her to your spare bedroom? She would be more comfortable and we could watch the movie without being constantly worried about waking her up."

"Sounds like a good idea. There's a blanket in the closet… make sure she's warm."

Cal smiled and took Emily in his arms, slowly walking towards the room where he had slept so many times before.

He put his daughter down in the bed and smiled as the girl moved and grabbed the pillow, lying on her side. He opened the closet and grabbed the blanket, putting it over her before kissing her forehead.

Once he walked back into the living room Gillian was sitting on the couch with a spoon in her mouth and her eyes fixed on a dot that seemed to be somewhere behind the television. He sat by her side and rested a hand over her knee, trying to not scare her. "Shall we press play?"

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

Thank you so much for taking the time to read! :)_  
_


	5. For Me

I apologize for taking so long... I was trying to decide whether I was going all M on you guys now or later... I decided to go with later.

Thank you for the kind reviews, by the way. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Lie To Me.

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

Cal felt at ease for the first time in ages. He was sitting by her side, his arm now wrapped around her shoulders as she laid her head against him. They were watching the movie in silence and somehow it felt _so _right.

The past couple of weeks - or months, to be honest - had been difficult, the atmosphere surrounding them had become too heavy and too uncomfortable for silence and they had found themselves throwing hurtful words at each other.

Painful emotions had taken over her face like a black and white rainbow born from the tears that she so hard fought to keep from rolling down her cheeks. If only she knew how much it hurt him to see her like that... to see her so broken.

And what hurt the most was the fact that he was the one to blame for the pieces that now laid on the floor, untouched. He so wished he could bring them all together again, but as much as he tried, it seemed that the only thing he could do was bring them further apart.

And so he had stopped trying.

It was not until earlier that day that he had realized what a mistake he had done. Sure, he knew he couldn't read her face and be 100% certain about what he saw but her actions spoke louder than anything else and he had gotten the message.

She was not okay with their new arrangement.

Who was he kidding? He was surely not okay with it either. He had tried for the first couple of days of the paperwork hell to stay completely away from her but he always caught himself watching her for a few minutes, looking at her from outside her office and trying to read her, to feel her, to smell her from a distance.

He had felt a bit stupid about it but he just couldn't live without her by his side. He had to see her no matter what and nowadays not even the photo of her he carried in his wallet helped.

Yes, he did carry a photo of her around... wherever he went there she would be... a reminder of why he shouldn't and couldn't give up on life. If only she knew how many times she had saved him... how many times he had hold onto her as someone tried to steal his last breath from him.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his thigh.

"Are you alright?" Gillian asked as she looked up at him, a worried eyebrow going up in a questioning manner.

He couldn't help but smile at her expression. How could she possibly look so adorable even while worrying? There had to be something inhuman about the woman that stood now in front of him. And that had to be why none of his relationships seemed to work.

Every time Cal met a woman everything seemed to be just fine. But then somehow they would end up at the office and they would meet Gillian. From that moment on everything seemed to happen at high speed and it would all end before even starting. Apparently there was something about Gillian that made them worry. They would just need a second with her and would try to jump his bones. He knew he should enjoy that last part but it was becoming very frustrating.

What was it about Gillian? Was it the fact that she was the sexiest women on earth? Was it the longing in his eyes as he watched her? Was it his need to touch her every time she was at a reaching distance?

That did make sense, now that he thought about it.

"I am fine, love." He said, putting a small strand of hair that was covering her face behind her ear. "But I think we need to talk."

Gillian froze almost instantly. Had he just said that they needed to talk? What did he mean?

She moved slightly on the couch and sat with her feet under her so that she could be looking directly at him. He had bought it up so it made sense to have him speak first, right?

He sighed at the loss of physical contact but also turned a bit so that he could see her face while talking. Why was it so hard to come up with the right words? He was so afraid of hurting her... but he was more afraid of losing her and to avoid that he had to talk.

"I am an idiot," He started, "But you can call me bastard or jerk or whatever you prefer, love." He added with a grin as he noticed a smile ticking the corners of her mouth.

"Can I go with _bloody _bastard?" She asked playfully before nodding as a sign that he could carry on with whatever was going inside his head.

"I could stand here for hours trying to justify my actions but there is no excuse and I know it." He carried on, taking a deep breath. "You know me... I am a _bloody _reckless bastard with a serious case of adrenalin addiction." He made a pause. "I ain't sure that I can change... but I think I am willing to..."

"You _think_?" She asked carefully, her tone calm and neutral.

"I **know **that I am willing to give it a go but I will need your help." He read the confusion on her face. "Love, I might be a selfish son of a bitch but I can't do this for myself. I need and I want to do this... for you."

Gillian was a bit taken aback by what she had just heard.

"Cal, I am here for you. You know that, right?" As she saw him nod, she reached out and put one of her hands on his knee. "But you need to want to do this for yourself."

"Love, you're the reason why I leave the bed in the morning." He said as he grabbed her hand and linked their fingers. "You are happy, I am happy." He added, his voice low as he used the other hand to cup her face. "And smiles look absolutely gorgeous on you."

He leaned over, his face now close to hers as he tried to break through her neutral expression. What was going on inside that beautiful mind of hers?

"As a psychologist I must advise you and say that this is entirely wrong in many different ways." She said, resting her forehead against his own. "But as a woman... God, what took you so long?"

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

What a cliffhanger, huh?

A warning... next chapter will be rated M... might take a while to write because I am working on a script at the moment.

Thank you for reading! Do feel free to review :P


	6. For Us

I am so sorry. I know it took me ages to update this story but there has been a major lack of inspiration on this side of the line.

Things would be a lot worse if the wonderful **tvfashionaddict** (twitter name) hadn't come to rescue us all. It's true, she wrote this wonderful chapter all by herself. From now on, I will be working with her more often, I hope.

Now, this is supposed to be the very last chapter of Italian. But I think it deserves a sequel. What do you think? And if you think we should carry on, shall we keep posting it as Italian or should we start a brand new story on ?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind reviews and THANK YOU, **tvfashionaddict**, for saving us. :)

Disclaimer: We don't own Lie to Me

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

_She said, resting her forehead against his own. "But as a woman... God, what took you so long?"_

Cal looked at Gillian and his eyes widened as crooked smile grew on his face. He was notably taken aback. Gillian had always reciprocated his playful advances but she had never made things so clear before.

He felt flushed, which was unfamiliar to him, but he played it as cool as always. Despite his outward appearance he could feel his heart rate increase and his chest tighten.

"Gillian…." He began without knowing how to continue.

The silence was far from awkward, but it played in slow motion. It was as though time had expanded for them.

Gillian's eyes searched for something to focus on as she looked over his shoulder. Her eyes settled on something far away outside the window.

He looked at her for a brief moment and then brushed her hair behind her ear, lightly grazing her face with his fingers. His touch made her turn her head slightly in his direction and she leaned into him without thinking, a natural reaction to anything Cal Lightman did. He had always held an almost inexplicable attraction. Even when he infuriated her she was drawn to him.

She caught his eye and looked down. A wave of anticipation surged through her body.

Gillian bit her lip, fighting a losing battle with her thoughts. She was an intelligent woman who usually knew exactly what to say…

"Cal…" She whispered as she looked at him. She frowned with uncertainty. The way her nose wrinkled made Cal smile. Gillian wanted to speak but her thoughts were frozen and then all rushed to the tip of her tongue at once. Cal watched her and waited. She did not continue.

She felt the stubble on his face and touched his lips. She put her hand on his arm and felt the warmth of his body.

Suddenly he embraced her and held her tight in his arms. She felt tears form and held them back. She had wanted this for so long. Cal was not known to be the romantic type but with Gillian he was gentle and there was a distinctive tenderness in the way he touched her.

He unbuttoned only the top three buttons of her silk blouse and pulled one side over her shoulder. He brushed his fingertips along her collarbone and she parted her lips slightly. They looked at each other and all was understood in half-light of the living room.

The tension she had felt earlier that evening was long gone.

He took her by the hand with the intention of leading her to her bedroom but the wall by the door in the living room was too inviting. He pressed her against it. He took her hand in his and pressed the back of it just above her head on the cool surface of the wall. His thigh was between her legs and he felt her body shiver slightly. He slowly unbuttoned the rest of her blouse to reveal a toned body and a delicate rose lace bra.

"Gillian…." Cal began to say before she interrupted him.

"Please Cal, don't ruin this…" she said with a teasing smile on her face.

His lips brushed against hers as his warm body pressed against her soft skin. She ran her hands through his hair and closed her eyes. All she could think about was kissing him, exploring his body with her hands.

Cal had imagined a moment like this more times than he could remember and yet reality was better than anything his mind had dared create.

He looked to find her slipping her skirt down past her smooth thighs until they dropped to the floor. In the semi darkness against the wall she was a live portrait, a work of art. The kind of woman who inspires greatness. He wanted to disappear with her, to steal her away from the world, to do everything he had ever dreamed of to her.

Gillian could see his eyes were exploring her body.

She grabbed him, turned, and pushed him against the wall. She leaned in and touched her lips against his, barely. Her desire was almost unbearable. She wanted him desperately but she could tell he was afraid to push her any further. She bit her lip as she looked at his arms which were toned and strong. She needed those arms around her.

_She needed him. _

Suddenly she stepped back and walked to the table by the sofa. His eyes bore into her as he watched her move. She was effortlessly sensual. She grabbed the bottle of wine and two glasses and started walking towards her bedroom. She placed the bottle and glasses down on the small side table by the bed. Cal came in and locked the door. Not a word was said.

Cal walked behind her and put his arms around her waist. He brushed her hair over her right shoulder and then moved slowly until he was in front of her. He put his hand on the nape of her neck and then gently pulled her hair so that her head tilted back. He leaned in towards her so that his lips gently caressed her neck close to her earlobe.

The smell of her skin was an elixir.

He had yearned for this moment for a very long time. Now he knew that he had also been on her mind. Images of Gillian ran through his head and he closed his eyes. His mind produced a film of the almost infinite times he had noticed her and he smiled.

This was different though. His feelings for Gillian transcended the corporeal; he loved her mind, her sense of humour, her way with people. He needed to kiss her, hold her, to be with her.

_He needed her. _

The night responded as one that was made for them.

The air was heavy with desire, the passion palpable. Stood beside the bed Gillian slowly pulled his dark blue T-shirt over his head and he unbuttoned his jeans. He gently eased her onto the bed so that he was laying half on top of her. He propped himself up on a bent arm and looked at her.

Then he kissed her.

It was deep and hungry and everything he had ever wanted. She responded by leaning into him as her soft lips met his. Without hesitation their bodies were entwined. As they moved the sheets cocooned them, and they were lost in one another. All sense of time evaporated.

The moonlight highlighted their every move, and shadows danced upon their bare skin.

Her skin felt cool to the touch. His was rough, warm and inviting. His lips lingered on her collarbone a moment longer. Then he looked at her, her hair spread across the pillow. He traced the length of her neck with his fingers.

"I need to tell you something" he began. "You know I'm a bloody bastard…and…I haven't been serious with anyone for a long time…Love, I'm going to do everything I can to make this work".

His eyes explored hers for a reaction.

"I know you will." she said as she pulled him in towards her.

_LIETOME LIETOME LIETOME_

So, what do you think? Not all way M chapter (that's why we are keeping it rated T, but hey, this might not be the end). *wink wink*

Do feel free to leave a review behind. They are very much appreciated.


End file.
